Blackbrook Audubon Society’s annual Birdathon fundraiser will take flight this
year with minor adjustments. In the past, Blackbrook encouraged individuals or teams to
ask people to sponsor them on their search for birds over a 10-day period in May. This
year, Blackbrook still asks everyone to bird separately in their yards or local park setting
over a 48-hour stretch. When they or their sponsors send in donations, Blackbrook will
use these funds to purchase Audubon Adventures for students in Geauga and Lake
Counties.
Choose any 24-hour period between noon on Friday, May 15 until noon Sunday,
May 17. The hours logged do not have to be consecutive, so a morning bird walk and
evening walk within a 24-hour block “fit the bill.” Only count the maximum number of
each species seen at one time. Two American Goldfinches in the morning and three in
the evening are recorded as three. Please submit a copy of the bird list with the
donation by May 31 to Blackbrook Audubon Society, P. O. Box 1306 Mentor, OH
44061-1306.
Blackbrook reminds Birdathoners to also submit their results to eBird.org. A great
deal of data exists about bird species at hotspots, but not much is known about the
birds who frequent backyard habitats. Blackbrook will use the copies of lists turned in by
Birdathoners to post results in categories such as most species recorded, most unusual
bird, most common bird, etc.
The longer period of time to bird in past years often included the annual Spring
Bird Walk series and Big Sit at Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve. With this
year’s more cautious guidelines due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Blackbrook Audubon
had to cancel these events and encourage birders to compile their checklists of birds
from their own properties. Sponsors can pledge according to the number of species
spotted or a flat donation. While birding, participants should maintain at least a Bald
Eagle’s wingspan, 6-7 feet, from anyone else, and refrain from sharing binoculars or
spotting scopes.
Audubon Adventures is an environmental education periodical created by the
National Audubon Society. Blackbrook provides these publications to about 900
students in the Nature Scopes program at Geauga Park District and at Mentor Marsh.
For more information on Birdathon, contact blackbrookaud@aol.com. Follow
Blackbrook Audubon Society on Facebook.
